Stravinsky et la danse...a little culture.

Poster from the original Stravinsky et la danse performance. Citation. 

     Last night, Elizabeth and I had our first Toulouse opera/ballet/orchestra experience. All at the same time. We watched Stravinsky et la danse on opening night, which was made more special because Elizabeth actually knew one of the dancers. Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) was an extremely influential Russian composer, and he also worked in both America and France, in the early twentieth century. His works transitioned from super modern to neoclassical, and the ballet last night was a combination of both.

     Stravinsky et la danse was performed by the various musical and artistic groups connected with the Toulouse Opera to inaugurate the new ballet director's first season. It was pretty amazing hearing the opera singers chime in with the bellowing violins and pianos of the symphony while the ballet dancers interpreted the sounds above on stage. Beautiful. Strange, but beautiful. If you're looking for those classical lovely lines you usually see in ballet, you won't find them here. Instead of pointed toes the dancers leap with flat feet, and pre-robot moves replace the gracefully uplifted arm.

     This particular interpretation of Stravinsky and the Ballet Ruses included three different ballet sets. First was Pulcinella, who is a member of the comedia dell'arte- the very specific masked character types of Italian Renaissance theatre (starting in the 16th century) that influenced the structure of theatrical performances throughout Europe for centuries- distinguished by his white outfit and long-nosed mask. His temperament is usually mean and crafty. In this version, the clown-like figure tricks his love by having various members of the community dress exactly like him. It's sad and heart-warming at the same time.

     Symphonie de Psaumes was written in 1930. Stravinsky started writing in Nice and finished in Switzerland. The piece is based on Oedipus Rex, and it was written for both a choir and orchestra. The dancers wore simple costumes and used various formation changes for emphasis. This piece was less light-hearted than the former piece; the dramatic choir voices made it sound like the start of a war scene in the Lord of the Rings. Sorry if that comparison offends anyone.

     Noces means "wedding," so this ballet is an interesting interpretation of a wedding ceremony. There are multiple brides and multiple grooms, and all of the brides are carried off stage in interesting body positions that make them look like confused mannequins. The ballet first premiered in 1923 in Paris.

     Stravinsky's musical groundbreaking followed on the heals of the Art Nouveau movement at the turn of the century in Paris. Art started going toward a less representative form of real life and leaning toward abstraction. The same happened with music and ballet.

     I first learned about Stravinsky my sophomore year in college during my two-year long Humanities program. His music is striking and strange, but I really enjoyed this performance. Toulouse has a really nice deal for anyone younger than 26, so the opera is very accessible. The cle jeune capitole and the chequier jeune allow you to access museums, the AirBus factory, cinemas, and the opera in Toulouse for 18 euros a year. The cle capitole is an additional 10 euros, but you get access to three performances in the Capitole whether they be ballet, orchestra, or theatre. If you're young and living in Toulouse, do like the brochure says and "free your couch." Buy the chequier. You won't regret it.

A view of the beautiful Theatre du Capitole from the inside. Elizabeth and I got last minute student tickets 15 minutes before the show for 10 euros. We were on the second row in the Orchestra section. Not too shabby. Citation.